Forging Hopeful Futures Program for Youth Violence

(FHF Trial)

Not currently recruiting at 3 trial locations

Overseen By Emily Sierra, MPH

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh

Disqualifiers: Age, Language, Location, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 12

Duration: 6-12 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to test the Forging Hopeful Futures program, which is designed to prevent youth violence by addressing issues like race, gender, and economic justice. The program includes group discussions and activities that help young people develop leadership and job skills while promoting non-violent practices. Participants in the trial will either join these sessions or receive wellness check-ins over the phone. The trial seeks English-speaking youth aged 13-19 who live in certain neighborhoods or attend local schools.

As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity for youth to actively contribute to community well-being and personal growth.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that the Forging Hopeful Futures program aims to reduce youth violence by addressing issues such as race, gender, and economic injustice. Although specific safety data for this program is unavailable, it is important to note that it involves group discussions and activities, not medication or medical procedures. Therefore, there are no physical side effects like those from drugs or surgeries.

The program employs a strengths-based and healing-centered approach, enhancing participants' leadership skills and providing job opportunities. These methods are generally considered safe because they emphasize learning and personal growth.

In summary, despite the lack of specific safety data, the nature of the Forging Hopeful Futures program suggests it is well-tolerated, as it involves non-invasive, discussion-based activities. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

The Forging Hopeful Futures program is unique because it takes a holistic approach to addressing youth violence. Unlike traditional interventions that might focus solely on individual behavior, this program explores broader societal issues like race, gender, and class, helping young people understand and challenge the structural forces behind violence. It also emphasizes leadership development and economic empowerment, equipping participants with job skills and employment opportunities. Researchers are excited about this program because it not only aims to reduce violent behaviors but also empowers youth to become agents of change in their communities.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for youth violence prevention?

Studies have shown that programs like Forging Hopeful Futures, one of the treatments in this trial, which focus on fairness in race, gender, and money matters, can help reduce youth violence. This program uses group talks and activities to explore issues like race, gender, and class, helping young people understand and change harmful behaviors. The approach builds on participants' strengths and helps them heal from past trauma. By developing leadership skills and promoting peaceful practices, the program aims to create safer communities. Early signs suggest that this kind of all-around program can effectively reduce violence among youth ages 13-19. Meanwhile, another treatment arm in this trial involves Wellness Check-ins, where youth receive individual wellness checks through strengths-based telephone conversations focused on wellness resources. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Alison J Culyba, MD PhD MPH

Principal Investigator

University of Pittsburgh

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for English-speaking youths aged 14-19 who live in, attend school in, or use facilities within certain neighborhoods. They must be able to share contact information for follow-ups. It's not open to those outside this age range, non-English speakers, or individuals without ties to the participating areas.

Inclusion Criteria

Participants must live in the participating neighborhoods, attend schools in the participating neighborhoods, or use participating facilities

Participants must be able to provide follow up contact information

I am between 14 and 19 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

Do not live in the participating neighborhoods, attend schools in the participating neighborhoods, or use participating facilities

Unable to provide follow up contact information

I am not between the ages of 14 and 19.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants engage in the Forging Hopeful Futures program, which includes 12 sessions over a 6 to 12 week period focusing on racial, gender, and economic justice, leadership development, and workforce opportunities.

6-12 weeks

12 sessions (in-person, 3 hours each)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in violence perpetration and other behaviors at 3 and 6 months after program conclusion.

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Forging Hopeful Futures
• Wellness Check-ins

Trial Overview The study tests 'Forging Hopeful Futures', a program aimed at preventing youth violence through racial, gender, and economic justice education. It also includes wellness check-ins as part of the intervention being studied.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Forging Hopeful Futures Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Forging Hopeful Futures uses a group discussion format with activities that explore race, gender, class, identity, relationships, and multiple forms of violence. Forging Hopeful Futures is a 12 session curriculum for youth ages 13-19 that uses strengths-based and healing-centered approaches to critically examine structural forces that perpetuate racial and gender injustice, develop leadership skills in promoting gender equitable relationship norms, non-violent practices, and upstander skills, and enhance economic justice through job skills and employment opportunities. Through 12 sessions (3 hours/session) over a 6 to 12 week period, Forging Hopeful Futures combines racial, gender, and economic justice content with leadership development and workforce development opportunities.

Group II: Wellness Check-ins Active Control 1 Intervention

Youth in neighborhoods randomized to the control group will receive individual wellness checks. This will occur through a strengths-based telephone conversation focused on wellness resources. Youth will be provided with tailored resources based on needs identified during the call. Youth will be offered the option for additional phone check-ins to coordinate access to community resources and connection to individualized behavioral health supports if desired.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Pittsburgh

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,820

Recruited

16,360,000+

Population Council

Collaborator

Trials

52

Recruited

63,400+

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Collaborator

Trials

902

Recruited

25,020,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The Violence Prevention Program (VPP) showed positive effects on reducing violence outside of school after 12 months, indicating its potential efficacy in addressing youth violence.

The Positive Youth Development Program (PYDP) demonstrated positive effects on reducing violence in school after 6 months, highlighting its role in promoting protective factors among adolescents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Effects of Two Community-Based Participatory Action Research Programs on Violence Outside of and in School Among Adolescents and Young Adults in a Latino Community. Oscós-Sánchez, MÁ., Lesser, J., Oscós-Flores, LD., et al.[2022]

A comprehensive approach to monitoring adverse and positive childhood experiences is essential for improving children's health and well-being, which includes standardizing definitions and measurements across data collection efforts.

Enhanced surveillance can lead to data-driven prevention strategies that target at-risk populations, ultimately reducing exposure to violence and adversities while promoting positive experiences for children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Building Infrastructure for Surveillance of Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences: Integrated, Multimethod Approaches to Generate Data for Prevention Action. Anderson, KN., Swedo, EA., Clayton, HB., et al.[2023]

The study evaluated nursing and multidisciplinary interventions in a Youth Inpatient Unit in Christchurch, New Zealand, focusing on their effectiveness in improving outcomes for adolescents, as measured by the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents.

Findings suggest that while most interventions were used similarly across different diagnoses, stress management and problem-solving education were particularly beneficial for patients with mixed affective disorders, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions in adolescent psychiatric care.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An examination of frequent nursing interventions and outcomes in an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit. Bobier, C., Dowell, J., Swadi, H.[2019]

In a study involving 15 youth victims of violence and 9 crime victim specialists, both groups preferred visual representations of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) with high color-shading and descriptive elements, indicating a strong interest in engaging formats for data presentation.

The most valued domains for PROs included social, anger, emotional, school, physical, peer relations, and psychosocial well-being, while there was less interest in domains like positive affect and depression, highlighting specific areas of focus for future violence intervention programming.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Youth victim perspective: optimizing presentation of patient-reported outcomes in a violence intervention program. Hollo, A., Nimmer, M., Cheaton, B., et al.[2023]

Children's exposure to violence can lead to serious mental health issues, but interventions like the Safe Start Promising Approaches (SSPA) program can significantly improve their future well-being.

The SSPA program, evaluated by the RAND Corporation across 15 sites, focuses on various types of violence and age-appropriate practices, showing promise in reducing the impact of children's exposure to violence during its first two years of implementation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

National Evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches: Assessing Program Implementation. Schultz, D., Jaycox, LH., Hickman, LJ., et al.[2020]

The Youth Nonfatal Violent Injury Review Panel was created to address the high incidence of nonfatal violent injuries among young people in the U.S., which are 171 times more common than fatal injuries.

This panel, involving 23 different agencies, aims to enhance interagency collaboration and identify prevention strategies for nonfatal violent injuries, although further research is needed to assess its effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Youth Nonfatal Violent Injury Review Panel: An Innovative Model to Inform Policy and Systems Change. Purtle, J., Rich, LJ., Rich, JA., et al.[2018]

The Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) program, which involved 50 mentors working with preadolescent youth in foster care, was reported as very helpful in training mentors to support high-risk children and families effectively.

Mentors highlighted the program's effectiveness in preparing them to engage with diverse communities and collaborate with various professionals, indicating a positive impact on their mentoring skills.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mentoring Children in Foster Care: Impact on Graduate Student Mentors. Taussig, HN., Culhane, SE., Raviv, T., et al.[2021]

A long-term study of 120 severely disturbed adolescent patients showed that individualized treatment planning is crucial for improving outcomes in psychiatric hospitalization, assessed over a period of three to eight years.

The outcomes were measured across three key areas: peer and social functioning, relationships with parents, and educational and occupational functioning, highlighting the importance of comprehensive assessments in treatment effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Follow-up of adolescents treated in a psychiatric hospital: measurement of outcome. Gossett, JT., Barnhart, FD., Lewis, JM., et al.[2019]

The Healthy Power program, a youth nonviolence initiative implemented in collaboration with a middle school, community nonprofit, and university, aimed to enhance conflict resolution skills among middle-school boys.

Although quantitative measures did not show significant changes, qualitative feedback indicated that students improved their understanding and application of conflict resolution, highlighting the value of mixed-methods evaluation in educational programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Community-Academic Partnership for School-Based Nonviolence Education: The Healthy Power Program. Dunn, M., Drew, C., O'Brien, J., et al.[2021]

Youth violence remains a critical health issue, particularly affecting young people and communities of color, despite a general decline in violent injuries and homicides across the U.S. over the past 15 years.

The Cook County Department of Public Health is actively addressing this issue by educating community leaders and social service workers on evidence-based programs, specifically the Blueprints for Violence Prevention initiative, to help reduce youth violence.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Meeting the needs of a community: teaching evidence-based youth violence prevention initiatives to members of strategic communities. Ruffolo, DC., Andresen, PA., Winn, KL.[2013]

The Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) program, a 30-week intervention for maltreated children in foster care, showed high engagement with 95% of participants starting and 92% completing the program, indicating its acceptability and feasibility.

The program significantly reduced mental health symptoms, particularly trauma-related symptoms, and increased the use of mental health services, demonstrating its effectiveness across diverse child subgroups.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Positive Youth Development Approach to Improving Mental Health Outcomes for Maltreated Children in Foster Care: Replication and Extension of an RCT of the Fostering Healthy Futures Program. Taussig, HN., Weiler, LM., Garrido, EF., et al.[2021]

Many young people with anxiety and depression experience negative feelings, such as loss and abandonment, when their treatment ends without improvement, highlighting the emotional impact of treatment conclusions.

Clinicians also find it challenging to manage treatment endings, often struggling to balance public expectations of therapy effectiveness with the reality of limited resources, suggesting a need for clearer communication and shared understanding of treatment goals from the start.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How to manage endings in unsuccessful therapy: A qualitative comparison of youth and clinician perspectives. Bear, HA., Dalzell, K., Edbrooke-Childs, J., et al.[2022]

The Richmond Youth Against Violence Project, a 16-session program for middle school students, aims to reduce violence by teaching conflict resolution and promoting positive behaviors, particularly in high-risk communities.

Initial findings indicate that a significant number of students, especially boys, have been exposed to community violence and engaged in risk behaviors, highlighting the need for effective violence prevention strategies in these environments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Richmond youth against violence: a school-based program for urban adolescents. Farrell, AD., Meyer, AL., Dahlberg, LL.[2022]

The Safe Start Promising Approaches (SSPA) initiative evaluated various community-based interventions aimed at preventing and reducing children's exposure to violence (CEV) across 15 different program sites in the U.S.

Each site implemented tailored programs to address specific types of violence and support families, highlighting the importance of localized approaches in effectively helping children cope with the effects of violence.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

National Evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches. Jaycox, LH., Hickman, LJ., Schultz, D., et al.[2020]

The UNITY Initiative highlights that violence in the US is preventable and is influenced by unequal safety distribution across communities, particularly affecting young people of color.

Comprehensive strategies that improve community environments, such as multi-sector collaboration and policy influence, can effectively reduce violence and promote health equity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Communities are not all created equal: Strategies to prevent violence affecting youth in the United States. Cohen, L., Davis, R., Realini, A.[2019]

Citations

1. popcouncil.org popcouncil.org/project/forging-hopeful-futures-a-racial-gender-and-economic-equity-program-to-reduce-youth-violence/

Forging Hopeful Futures: A Racial, Gender, and Economic ... Testing a new program to reduce youth violence at the community level by shifting inequitable gender and social norms and expanding economic opportunities.

2. clinicaltrial.be clinicaltrial.be/en/details/259457?per_page=20&recruiting=1&enrolling_by_invitation=1&active_not_recruiting=1&not_yet_recruiting=0&completed=0&only_recruiting=0&only_eligible=0

Forging Hopeful Futures to Reduce Youth Violence Forging Hopeful Futures is a 12 session curriculum for youth ages 13-19 that uses strengths-based and healing-centered approaches to critically ...

3. ctv.veeva.com ctv.veeva.com/study/forging-hopeful-futures-to-reduce-youth-violence

Forging Hopeful Futures to Reduce Youth Violence (FHF) This cluster-randomized community-partnered study will examine the effectiveness of a racial-, gender-, and economic-justice focused youth ...

4. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-violence-in-adolescence-6-2023-071d5

Forging Hopeful Futures Program for Youth Violence Trial Overview The study tests 'Forging Hopeful Futures', a program aimed at preventing youth violence through racial, gender, and economic justice education.

5. peearz.com peearz.com/trialsindex?nctid=NCT05743478

Forging Hopeful Futures to Reduce Youth Violence This cluster-randomized community-partnered study will examine the effectiveness of a racial-, gender-, and economic-justice focused youth violence ...

6. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK593256/

Evidence reviews - Youth violence intervention programme for ... Offences classified as assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm have risen by 46% between 2011 and 2020 in England and Wales.1 The ...